MBTA exercises option for 45 additional Xcelsior transit buses

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) will purchase 45 additional Xcelsior® 60-foot hybrid electric buses from New Flyer.

This order follows recent MBTA awards to New Flyer for low and zero-emission buses, including a 2020 contract for 60 Xcelsior 40-foot hybrid electric buses, a 2019 contract for 194 Xcelsior 40-foot hybrid electric buses and a 2019 contract for five, 60-foot battery-electric Xcelsior CHARGE™ zero-emission buses. The purchases are supported by a combination of state and federal funding from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grants, executing on MBTA’s planned fleet replacement, expansion and greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions.

“Our partnership with MBTA spans 45 years, having delivered more than 1,500 buses, of which over 500 incorporate hybrid technology," said Chris Stoddart, president, New Flyer of America. “As we continually innovate our products to become more sustainable, we continue to see early adopters like MBTA to introduce the latest technology. Advanced hybrid-electric buses like this will result in immediate GHG reduction and are a critical transition step in the evolution to zero-emission mobility.”

New Flyer partnered with BAE Systems to equip the buses with a Series-ER hybrid system configured with compact next-generation components that enhance system efficiency and reduce fuel emissions.  In addition to the Series-ER hybrid system, the low-emission hybrid buses feature onboard energy storage and smart controls supplied by BAE Systems that will extend electric drive range and help modernize MBTA’s fleet. The Series-ER system is powered by lithium-ion technology that allows buses to drive on strictly electric power up to 50 percent of the time.